Convertible footwear



April 13, 1965 E. w. R. SIGER 3,177,596

CONVERTIBLE FOOTWEAR Filed Jan. 3, 1965 INVENTOR. $038! sea United States Patent 3,1775% CONVERTIBLE FOOTWEAR Einar William Randers Siger, Hovedoya, Oslo, Norway Filed Jan. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 249,267 Claims priority, application Norway, Jan. 6, 1962, 142,772 3 Claims. (Cl. 36-71) The invention relates to footwear of the type that is described in Norwegian Patent No. 92,735. Such footwear consists of an elongated, symmetrically shaped sole, or a bottom of strong material, from the edges of which extends a corresponding, preferably cylindrical boot. The footwear is in other words bag-shaped with a strong bottom and thinner, preferably parallel walls. Further the footwear is provided with necessary means for being tied up and fastened to the foot, eventually outside other footwear.

Footwear of the abovementioned type has in practice proved to be very useful, and it is the object of the invention to provide especially serviceable means for tying up and fastening the footwear when it is being used as well as special shaping of the various parts of the footwear so that it will serve many purposes.

According to the embodiments shown in the abovementioned patent, such footwear was made with a number of straps that cooperated with laces or tightening means. Such an arrangement is however complicated, the tightening takes too much time and is difiioult in bad weather conditions. The present invention suggests tightening means that are more simple and secure. Thus it is suggested that the edge part of the sole in the middle on both sides is provided with an upwards extending car, which ear is provided with a suitable opening, preferably a hole with an eyelet. To fasten the footwear to the foot, it is only necessary to hook an elastic strap, provided with catches at both ends, into the holes of said ears.

Further the footwear according to the invention may be provided in the middle of both sides with a vertically extending strip or the like with a row of holes. These strips may be used for lacing up the footwear with the aid of a string or a strap for further fastening of the footwear.

According to a modification the abovementioned sideears can be left out and the strips can be brought down to the upper edge of the sole. The holes in the side-strips can then be used for fastening the abovementioned strap across the instep as well as lacing up the footwear.

The sole of the footwear according to the invention can with advantage be turned up somewhat at both ends, which facilitates the fitting and the fastening, and thereby makes the footwear more comfortable to use. In a plane view the sole can be elongated, rectangular with rounded corners, oval or preferably slightly like the figure eight.

For a better understanding of the invention reference is had to the embodiment shown in the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing schematically the footwear according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows the footwear seen from one end.

FIG. 3 shows it in perspective view turned upside down.

FIG. 4 is a side View showing the footwear according to FIGS. 1-3 in fastened position.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the footwear in a somewhat modified fastened position.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing one of the many applications of the footwear according to the invention turned into a bag.

The footwear is preferably made of a watertight material like rubber or plastic, and consists of a mainly cylindrical boot 1 which at the bottom is glued or welded to a bottom or a sole 2, the side edges 2' of which extend upwards and run into the cylindrical part 1. Both ends of the sole are preferably somewhat turned up as indicated by 2".

On both sides of the footwear there is an ear 7 provided with a hole and an eyelet. Further the cylindrical boot 1 is provided on both sides with a strip 5 of an elastic material, for instance of the same type as the material of the boot 1 to which it is welded. The strip 5 is provided with holes 6 as seen in the drawing.

The top of boot 1 is provided with 2. preferably reinforced edge 3 with a row of holes 4 and eyelets.

As appears from FIG. 1 the upper edge 3 of the boot is constructed with a somewhat lower extent in the middle so that the ends are higher, which in many cases is an advantage. It appears from FIG. 3 that the sole 2 is slightly similar to a figure eight.

When footwear of the type shown in FIGS. 1-3 shall be fastened to the foot or on top of other footwear, a strap 8, provided with suitable catch members as for example spring books, is fastened in the holes of the ears 7. The strap 8 may be adjustable and/or of an elastic material, so that a good tightening is obtained across the instep, whereby the footwear is well secured. In this position the footwear can be worn loosely fitted to the foot as shown in FIG. 5.

To get a tighter fitting a lace or string 9 is threaded through the holes 6 in the strip 5 as seen in FIG. 4.

Further tightening can be obtained by threading a string through the holes 4 of the edge 3, to prevent for instance snow from getting into the footwear.

As it will be seen, the footwear is quite symmetrical, so that there is no diiference between the heel and the toe part, and it does not matter which way it is put on. It is mainly meant to be worn on top of other footwear, and is dimensioned accordingly. It can however advantageously be worn with slippers or other soft shoes, with thick socks, or filled with hay or other insulating material. Because of the cylindrical shape of the boot the footwear is easy to put on and take oif. Thus it can easily be removed if one should fall into the sea, if it is only fastened by the strap 8. At the end of the strap 8 lugs may be arranged instead of hooks, and these lugs may be fastened in non-circular holes in the ears 7.

As explained in Norwegian Patent No. 92,735, issued August 30, 1958, such footwear may be used for a variety of other purposes. Thus it may be used as a bag, for which purpose the straps 3 are very serviceable. These may, as indicated by 8' in FIG. 6, simply be hooked into holes 4 at the upper edge 3 of the boot 1, whereby they form suitable handles. If desired both ends of the strap may be fastened as indicated.

A good ventilation effect is obtained in the footwear according to the invention, due to the shape of the sole imparting a certain pump effect by relative movement of the sole.

A very good fit is obtained if the edge part 2 of the sole is rounded as indicated in FIG. 2. Thereby a good fit is obtained around a shoe of various sizes because of the elastic effect and the pressure around this shoe.

According to a feature of the invention a greater or smaller part of the boot ll can be double-walled and airtight. This part is then provided with a piece of tube with blocking means. Such an arrangement is indicated in FIG. 1, where the double part 10 extends from the upper edge 3 and down to a transversal seam 9 to secure the part to the boot 1. The double part 10 is provided with a rubber tube 11 which by simple means known per se can be closed as by a hose clip, plug or suitable valve members. This part 10 can be inflated to a suitable degree through a tube 11 to give good tightening contact around the ankle or leg. At the same time the air-filled part will give the footwear additional insulating power as well as Patented Apr. 13, 1965 r 3' 7 r a buoyancy which eliminates the weight of the boot if one should fall in the water, or even gives a positive buoyancy. The part 10 can if desired be divided into two or more sections.

If desired the height of the boot can be so big that the footwear can be used as waders.

I I claim: a V 1. An article of footwear comprising a structure including top-and side portions and a sole with sideedges secured to the top and side portions, the side'portion extending cylindrically up'from' the side edges of the sole so that any cross section of the side portion-is symmetrical from bottom to top thereof, a pair of ears secured to the 'side edges one on each side of the footwear, an elastic strap secured to the ears to extend over the top of the footwear 7 footwear.

to maintain the latter on a foot of the wearer, and means 7 securedto the side portions to maintain the footwear on i V the foot of thewearer for a tight fit of "the footwear with Y the sideportion in contact-with the foot and leg of the wearer. I

2. An'article of footwear according to claim 1, in which each ear has an eyelet therein and each end of the strap 7 7 7 '4 7 b is provided with a hook to contact into its eyelet in the ear. a t

3. An article of footwear according toclaim 1, in which i the means includes a strip secured on each side of the side portion having eyelets therein to receive a lace passing over from one strip to the other over the outside 'of the References Cited by the'Examinei' v UNITED STATES PATENTS JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

DAVID J; WILLIAMOWSKY, FRANK J COHEN,

V t Exa mir ers 

1. AN ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR COMPRISING A STRUCTURE INCLUDING TOP AND SIDE PORTIONS AND A SOLE WITH SIDE EDGES SECURED TO THE TOP AND SIDE PORTIONS, THE SIDE PORTION EXTENDING CYLINDRICALLY UP FROM THE SIDE EDGES OF THE SOLE SO THAT AND CROSS SECTION OF THE SIDE PORTION IS SYMMETRICAL FROM BOTTOM TO TOP THEREOF, A PAIR OF EARS SECURED TO THE SIDE EDGES ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE FOOTWEAR, AN ELASTIC STRAP SECURED TO THE EARS TO EXTEND OVER THE TOP OF THE FOOTWEAR TO MAINTAIN THE LATTER ON A FOOT OF THE WEARER, AND MEANS SECURED TO THE SIDE PORTIONS TO MAINTAIN THE FOOTWEAR ON THE FOOT OF THE WEARER FOR A TIGHT FIT OF THE FOOTWEAR WITH THE SIDE PORTION IN CONTACT WITH THE FOOT AND LEG OF THE WEARER. 